Mitrella coccinea
Habitat: it lives on rocky and detrital bottoms. Pointed out on sponges, in the infralittoral and circalittoral zones, along Gabes Gulf. Distribution: it is collected in several localities of the Mediterranean: from the low Tyrrhenian Sea to the Channel of Sicily, Gabes Gulf, the Ionian Sea and the Adriatic Sea where it seems it is more common.
Notes: original name is Buccinum linnaei var. coccinea Philippi, 1836. CLEMAM sets it in Columbellidae incertae saedis, on the other hand as per other taxa that can be considered synonyms, in our opinion, such as: brisei, vatovai, pediculus, aradusiana. We think M. coccinea is a valid species, only it is to be understood which is the right name to be assigned to it.
Shell solid, fusiform, whorls more or less convex, suture linear and incised. Aperture stretched and wide, high a little bit less than half of total height, columella vertical with 4-5 plicae. External lip varicose with 7-8 teeth the upper ones of which more developed. Proto-conch of about 1.5 whorls is peculiar, wide and globose, usually either reddish or brown in colour. Specimens having apex truncated are rare. Colour pattern is variable: from yellow ochre to uniform rosy, sometimes with little spots below-suture. It is recognizable from its similar ones due to its form more globose, to sutures deeper, almost caniculated, to a mouth larger and to colour of shell and soft parts. Average measures for adult specimens are around 15-16 mm in height.